1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic equipment for use with a communication system connected by a communication bus such as an IEEE 1394 bus, for example. More particularly, this invention relates to electronic equipment or the like including a register for setting transmission and reception channels and an operation means for setting channels to this register and in which the transmission and reception channels can be set arbitrarily and easily.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a communication system connected by a communication bus such as an IEEE 1394 bus, a channel and a band which are bus resources may be maintained and a connection may be made by a virtual plug according to the IEC 61883-1 standard, whereby a video signal, an audio signal and the like can be transferred in the isochronous mode.
However, since conventional electronic equipment comprising the above-mentioned communication system are difficult to actively discover equipment to be connected, any of electronic equipment may use the same channel in advance. Even when there are bands to spare, electronic equipment should take the channel from other electronic equipment or should wait for the available channel until the channel is opened.
The IEC 61883-1 standard has a function (1) capable of setting a channel available in transmission equipment and reception equipment when the transmission is started, and is unable to set a channel without searching equipment to be connected. Also, when the transmission is started, if the channel is not set, then transmission equipment is able to transmit data via a previously-determined channel (default channel) described in a specific transmission setting register. Although this IEC 61883-1 standard has prepared a function (2) capable of designating another channel by rewriting this default channel, this standard is unable to set a channel of reception equipment.
Accordingly, when the above-mentioned function (1) is not in use, if some method of operating a channel is not determined, then it is not possible to execute a transmission using a plurality of channels. This situation may apply for other cases in which a signal to be transmitted is a signal of the same type and a signal of other format as well. Further, when a plurality of channels are not in use, even though different transmission rates are permitted in a bus, data should be transmitted at the lowest transmission rate in order for electronic equipment to match with performances of all sorts of reception equipment.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide electronic equipment or the like in which a transmission channel and a reception channel can be set arbitrarily and easily.
Electronic equipment according to this invention is electronic equipment connected to a communication bus for receiving data of a predetermined channel transmitted through the communication bus. This electronic equipment comprises a memory means for setting a reception channel and an operation means for setting the reception channel to this memory means. In this case, this electronic equipment may further include a display means for displaying a setting picture to set the reception channel to this memory means.
Also, electronic equipment according to this invention is electronic equipment connected to a communication bus for receiving data of a predetermined channel transmitted through the communication bus. This electronic equipment comprises a memory means for setting a reception channel, a reception means for receiving a communication command transmitted through the communication bus and a setting means for setting the reception channel to the memory means if the communication command received at this reception means is a communication command concerning the setting of the reception channel.
Also, electronic equipment according to this invention is electronic equipment connected to a communication bus for transmitting data of a predetermined channel to the communication bus. The electronic device comprises a memory means for setting a transmission channel and an operation means for setting a transmission channel to this memory means. In this case, this electronic equipment may further include a display means for displaying a setting picture to set the transmission channel to the memory means.
Also, electronic equipment according to this invention is electronic equipment connected to a communication bus for transmitting data of a predetermined channel to the communication bus. This electronic equipment comprises a memory means for setting a transmission channel, a reception means for receiving a communication command transmitted through the communication bus and a setting means for setting the transmission channel to the memory means if the communication command received at this reception means is a communication command concerning the setting of the transmission channel.
Also, a data reception method according to this invention is a data reception method connected to a communication bus for receiving data of a predetermined channel transmitted through the communication bus. This data reception method comprises the steps of a reception channel setting operation process for executing an operation to set a reception channel, a reception channel setting process for memorizing the reception channel in memory means based on the operation and a reception process for receiving the data of the reception channel transmitted through the communication bus based on the reception channel set to the memory means.
Also, a data reception method according to this invention is a data reception method connected to a communication bus for receiving data of a predetermined channel transmitted through the communication bus. This data reception method comprises the steps of a reception process for receiving a communication command transmitted through the communication bus, a determination process for determining whether or not the communication command received at the reception process is a communication command concerning the setting of a reception channel, a setting process for setting a reception channel to a memory means if the communication command is the communication command concerning the setting of the reception channel and a reception process for receiving the data of the reception channel transmitted through the communication bus based on the reception channel set to the memory means.
Also, a data transmission method according to this invention is a data transmission method connected to a communication bus for transmitting data of a predetermined channel to the communication bus. This data transmission method comprises the steps of a transmission channel setting operation process for executing an operation to set a transmission channel, a transmission channel setting process for memorizing the transmission channel in a memory means based on the above-mentioned operation and a transmission process for transmitting data through the communication bus from the transmission channel based on the transmission channel set to the memory means.
Also, a data transmission method according to this invention is a data transmission method connected to a communication bus for transmitting data of a predetermined channel to the communication bus. This data transmission method comprises the steps of a reception process for receiving a communication command transmitted through the communication bus, a determination process for determining whether or not the communication command received at the reception process is a communication command concerning the setting of a transmission channel, a setting process for setting a transmission channel to the memory means if the communication command is the communication command concerning the setting of the transmission channel and a transmission process for transmitting data from the transmission channel through the communication bus based on the transmission channel set to the memory means.
According to this invention, electronic equipment may include a memory means for setting a reception channel and a transmission channel. The reception channel and the transmission channel may be set to this memory means by an operation means. Alternatively, the reception channel and the transmission channel may be set to this memory means in accordance with a received communication command.
Also, electronic equipment according to this invention may be electronic device connected to a communication bus. This electronic equipment may comprise an issue means for issuing a communication command to set either of or both of a reception channel and a transmission channel of other electronic equipment connected to a communication bus and a transmission means for transmitting a communication command issued by this issue means through a communication bus to other electronic equipment.
Also, a channel setting method according to this invention is a channel setting method of setting a channel of electronic equipment connected to other electronic equipment through a communication bus. This channel setting method comprises the steps of an issue process for issuing a communication command used to set either of or both of a reception channel and a transmission channel of other electronic equipment connected to the communication bus and a transmission process for transmitting the communication command issued at the issue process to the other electronic equipment through the communication bus.
According to this invention, when either of or both of the reception channel and the transmission channel of other electronic equipment connected to the communication bus may be set, a communication command therefor may be issued. This communication command may be transmitted through the communication bus to other electronic equipment. Thus, in other electronic equipment, the reception channel and the transmission channel may be set to the memory means for setting the reception channel and the transmission channel, for example.
Also, electronic equipment according to this invention may be electronic equipment connected to a communication bus. This electronic equipment may comprise an information acquisition means for acquiring information of all electronic equipment connected to the communication bus, a group means for grouping all electronic equipment into a plurality of channels based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means and a display control means for displaying the grouped states from this group means on a display. In this case, this electronic equipment may further include an operation means for performing a confirmation operation of the grouped states from this group means and a channel setting means for setting a transmission or reception channel used by all electronic equipment based on the grouped states when the confirmation operation is performed by this operation means.
A channel grouping method according to this invention is a channel grouping method of grouping electronic equipment connected to other electronic equipment through a communication bus into a plurality of channels. This channel grouping method comprises the steps of an information acquisition process for acquiring information of a plurality of electronic equipment connected to the communication bus, a grouping process for grouping a plurality of electronic equipment into a plurality of channels based on information acquired at the information acquisition process and a display process for displaying the grouped states of the grouping process on a display.
According to this invention, information (e.g. model information and icon information) of all electronic equipment connected to the communication bus may be acquired, and all electronic equipment may be grouped in association with a transmission rate and a corresponding speed. Then, this grouped state may be displayed on the display, whereby a user can refer to such grouped state when all electronic equipment may be grouped. Also, when a user executes the confirmation operation for such grouping, channels of all electronic equipment may be set automatically based on such grouped state, and a user may become possible to omit a channel setting operation.